An important issue that warrants attention is patients' thoughts and perceptions about the usefulness of treatments that they receive in comparison with exercise therapy (Box 1
). Pelham & Campagna (1991) reported that psychiatric out-patients who participated in a 12-week exercise therapy programme expressed positive views of exercise. Moreover, antidepressant, mood-elevation, moderate anxiety-reduction, increased self-esteem and improved concentration were some of the effects described by participants. Anstiss (1988) examined the relationship between exercise and well-being in alcohol-dependent patients who exercised for 4 weeks. On discharge, 60% of clients reported that exercise was of great value, and 29% said it was of considerable value. Likewise, Martinsen & Medhus (1989) asked patients to evaluate the usefulness of physical fitness training as compared with other more traditional forms of therapy (i.e. contact with nurses, psychotherapy and medication). Patients in the training group ranked physical fitness training as the therapeutic element that had helped them most. Patients in the control group ranked individual psychotherapy as most important. This raises the issue of patient choice and, collectively, these studies indicate that patients perceive exercise as a useful strategy in their rehabilitation
Exercise therapy and mental health in clinical populations: is exercise therapy a worthwhile intervention?
